


hot water

by ohhthatgirl



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Awkward Flirting, Bucky is naked the majority of the time, F/M, Meet-Cute, Meet-Ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 04:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13826646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhthatgirl/pseuds/ohhthatgirl
Summary: The pieces finally click together and Bucky realizes four things: he needs to start sleeping eight hours a night, he is not in his own bathroom, he is very naked, and only a thin sheet of plastic separates him from certain doom.





	hot water

To say that Bucky Barnes was exhausted would be the understatement of the century. Between moving into his new apartment with Steve over the weekend, a full week of work, and binge watching TV until three AM, Bucky felt dead on his feet. The prospect of walking up three flights of stairs was unappealing, but also the only thing between him and a much needed shower.

He trudges up each step grudgingly, mind filled with a blank buzz, and only half paying attention to the apartment numbers as he passes the doors in the hall. Their door was thankfully unlocked, and he stumbles inside gratefully. He almost trips over a pair of sneakers that were kicked carelessly just inside the door and glares. They were definitely too small to be Steve’s or his own, but he shrugged that idea away, figuring they must be Peggy’s or something. In retrospect, that should have been enough of a clue.

Pushing the sneakers to the back of his mind, he rubbed his eyes as he moved through the apartment to the bathroom. He quickly throws his clothes into the corner of the room, promising that he’ll get around to laundry eventually, and steps into the shower.

After five minutes of just standing under the hot stream of water, Bucky finally feels human enough to actually move his tired limbs. He reaches out for his shampoo blindly, but his fingers meet an unfamiliar bottle instead. He reaches for the next container, but that, too, is definitely not his. Bucky groans in annoyance, did Steve really have to rearrange the entire shower while he was gone?

Swiping the water out of his eyes, Bucky picks up the offending bottle and glares at it. Coconut and honey conditioner, weird. He blinks once and then takes in the rest of the products, but still doesn’t see his own shampoo. Just as his sleep-deprived brain begins to catch on that something is not right, the bathroom door bursts open and a distinctly female voice calls out.

“Hey, Nat!”

The pieces finally click together and Bucky realizes four things: he needs to start sleeping eight hours a night, he is not in his own bathroom, he is very naked, and only a thin sheet of plastic separates him from certain doom.

How the hell did this happen? His once-cloudy brain is thrown into overdrive as he tries to remember getting home. He had walked up three flights of stairs, passed four doors on the left, and then come in… right? No, in his desire to get home ASAP, he realized with growing horror that he must have only walked up two flights of stairs, which means he’s currently in his downstairs neighbors’ apartment. He remembers the two women had come to help him and Steve move in over the weekend. The redhead was Natasha, so Nat was probably a nickname. That meant the one currently going through the bathroom cabinets was the super cute and funny one that Bucky had hoped to get to know better. Fantastic.

Bucky’s mind races as he tries to figure out the best course of action. Apparently you hadn’t noticed his pile of clothes in the corner of the room, so you weren’t immediately suspicious. Would it be too much to hope that you would just quickly leave the room and give him enough time for a quick escape? Coming right out with his mistake would be the noble thing to do, but would also be humiliating as hell. Whatever the decision, there seemed to be little hope of coming off as a good guy in this situation. Best case scenario, you would believe it was an honest mistake and think he was the dumbest person on earth. Worst case, you would think he was a perverted shower stalker and probably call the cops.

Before Bucky can decide on what to do, you start speaking again like you’re talking to Natasha.

“So I just popped upstairs to try and catch the neighbors. Steve is just as sweet as we thought, and also totally in love with his girlfriend. Bucky wasn’t there, but they did have some very interesting pictures on the wall…”

There’s a giggle and Bucky thinks it must be one be of the cutest laughs he’s ever heard. He thinks about what pictures they have displayed in the apartment and can only come up with one taken from a mud marathon earlier in the year. He and Steve had been caked with mud by the end and had taken off their shirts right before Peggy snapped the picture. You thought that was interesting? Interesting had to be good, right? Despite the dire nature of the situation, Bucky holds his breath as he eagerly awaits to see if you’re going to say more about him.

“Steve said I should stay until Bucky got back, but I got too nervous. That man is just all kinds of eye candy and part of me just wants to like, lick him.”

Bucky wants to laugh, because this is simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen in his life. His mind wanders to all the places he’s totally down to be licked, and his gut clenches in a rush of desire. Best to get away from that topic before he went completely to the gutter.

“Anyway, Steve says that Bucky’s single and invited us out to drink with them after he gets back from work. I’ll do the dishes for the next month if you wing woman for me. Please?”

Of course now his luck ran out. There was no way in hell he would be able to imitate Natasha’s voice to give a passable reply. There is a beat of silence and Bucky prays for a quick death.

“Seriously girl, zero response?”

Despite the hot water pounding on his back, Bucky’s veins freeze when he sees your hand curl around the edge of the shower curtain. Time slows down as the curtain is pushed aside and Bucky is afforded perfect clarity to see your eyes widen when you find him instead of Natasha, then flicker down over his chest and then lower. Your expression changes from mild annoyance to bewilderment to complete horror in the span of three seconds before you whip the curtain shut again.

Your shriek of “Oh my God!” comes at the same time Bucky finally finds his voice and says, “I swear it’s not what you think!”

He scrambles out of the shower and grabs a towel off the rack to cover himself, though it’s not like you hadn’t already gotten an eyeful. He hesitates to approach where you’ve crouched in the corner, both hands pressed to your face in embarrassment.

“Holy shit, this is a terrible porno intro,” you say, seemingly more to yourself than Bucky. He catches your gaze flashing in his direction before you hide behind your hands again. “I am so sorry you had to hear all of that. I swear I’m really not that creepy!”

At this statement, Bucky can’t help the startled laugh that builds in his chest. “I’m the one caught in the wrong shower and you’re apologizing to me, doll?”

You straighten immediately, and Bucky is taken by the slight pink coloring at the tips of your ears. “Well, I just-” You huff in exasperation and narrow your eyes at him. “Why are you in here?”

It’s Bucky’s turn to feel embarrassment creep up his neck. ”It was an accident, I swear! I was tired and not paying attention to anything and just walked in and I am so, so sorry. Please don’t call the cops.”

Against every possibility, you laugh and nod your head as if this was something that could happen to anyone. His attention is once again focused on the delightful sound of your laugh and he hardly notices the hand you offer him. “You forget the licking thing and I’ll overlook this slip up.”

“Deal,” Bucky takes your hand and shakes firmly. The two of you smile at each other tentatively and Bucky wonders if it would be too forward to ask for your number when he remembers that he is still very naked.

You seem to realize this as well because you withdraw quickly, an adorable, embarrassed smile twisting at your lips. “I’ll, uh, let you get dressed.” Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but Bucky swears he can feel your eyes rake over his exposed chest before you close the door behind you.

He quickly pulls back on his clothes and throws the towel that had been his only covering into the hamper. When he gets out of the bathroom, you’re leaning against the couch, fiddling with your nails like you’re not sure what to do with your hands. It’s entirely too cute.

You smile hesitantly at him as he walks to the front door. “So, uh, drinks tonight? Or has this been sufficiently awkward to kill that possibility?”

“N-No! Drinks are good!” He says too quickly and feels his heart stutter at the way your eyes crinkle when you smile. “First round is on me.”

You hum in agreement and then hold the door open for him. “I’ll catch you in a bit, then."

As he walks up the stairs and towards his own apartment, making sure to double check the numbers on the door, Bucky wonders whether there will be some time in the future when ending up in your shower won’t be an accident.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @sakurasama


End file.
